Automatic telegraph transmitter



June 2, 1942.

L. E. GARDINER 2,285,268

AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER Filed S ept. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2, 1942.

L. E. GARDIN4ER AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER Filed Sept. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ulwlm 4 4 Ill/[1111115351 11,

v-FAVIIIIIIA a .Zaarancefi'amizkeal Patented. June 2, 1942 AUTOMATIC TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER Laurance E. Gardiner, Stratford, N. J.

Application September 16, 1940, Serial No. 357,043

This invention relates to automatic telegraph 7 Claims.

transmitters, that is to say, to a device for controlling an electrical circuit for the transmission of messages. The device has a valuable application in the teaching of code to beginners, as it enables beginners to learn quickly to recognize the code signals used in telegraphic work.

The device is particularly useful for beginnersas it is readily adjustable to permit the messages to be sent at varying speeds in accordance with the skill of the operator in distinguishing the signals. The device is of the type employing a perforated tape and, more specifically considered, the invention relates to means for feeding the tape at the desired speed through a suitable contact making and breaking device and relates as well to certain improvements in the contact making and breaking device.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an automatic telegraph transmitter which is particularly suitable for use in learning the various codes customarily employed in message transmission and which may be controlled by the user in accordance with his individual requirements.

It is a further object of thepresent invention to provide an automatic telegraph transmitter having an improved character of feed and speed control for perforated message bearing tape.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide, in instruments of the character aforesaid, an improved type of controlled contact elements.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the annexed specification and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof in which:

Figure l is a horizontal sectional view, illustrating the various parts in plan of an automatic telegraph transmitter embodying the main features of the present invention;

Fig. 2. is a vertical central section thereof; i

Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the tape used in the device;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the front end of the lid portion of the device, illustrating the manner in which the'tape is fed therethrough;

Fig. 6 is an underneath plan view of the front portion of the'cover or lid, illustrating more particularly the contact making and breaking devices carried by said lid; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line |-1 of Fig. 5, and showing the operation of the switch for controlling the contacts. 1

It will of course be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various changes and. modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, in the particular embodiment of the invention therein shown, It]

is a housing within which certain of the opcrating parts of the device are enclosed. The

housing I0 is provided with a lid portion I I which is made removable to permit access to the interior if desired, for the purpose of repair or lubrication. The lid portion H of the housing I0 is provided with means for guiding the tape 9 and also carries the devices for making and breaking the circuit as the tape is fed therethrough, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth; 7

Electrical conductors i2, suitably insulated, are provided and extend into the interior of the easing III for supplying electrical energy for driving a motor 14 mounted within the housing. The

motor I4 is preferably an induction motor, free from the likelihood of radio interference. A switch l5, interposed in one of the conductors I2, is carried on a side wall of the housing 10, the manually operable actuator it of the switch l5 being disposed on the outside of the side wall of the housing It.

The motor I4 is provided on each side thereof with a rearwardly extending mounting arm I! by means of which it is pivoted as at [8 to the side walls of the housing H! at the rear thereof, the arrangement being such that the weight of the motor l4 serves as a means for obtaining the requiste traction to drive the rotating parts with which it is associated.

The end of the motor shaft is provided with a cone shaped driving wheel l5 which bears against and drives a wheel Ill. The wheel 20 is provided with a rubber face on its periphery to increase the traction of the driving cone IS. The lower most contacting portion of the driving wheel l9 is'disposed substantially horizontal. The wheel 20 is slidably mounted on a horizontal shaft 2! to which it is splined so that as the wheel 20 is driven by the cone IQ of the motor-shaft said horizontal shaft 2| is rotated. The longitudinal position of the wheel 20 on the shaft 2| is determined by means of a yoke 22 which engages the side faces of the wheel 20 and which is also in threaded engagement with a rod 23 mounted in the housing Ill. The rod 23 extends through '20 is mounted also extends through the front end of the housing l6 where it engages the rubber rim of a drive wheel 25 to rotate the same. The drive wheel 25 is journalled on a stud 26 mounted in the front-wall of the housing H]. The portion of the horizontal shaft 2| which engages the rim portion of the wheel 25 is preferably knurled to increase the traction.

A tape delivery spool 36 is mounted for free rotation on a shaft 3| carried by a fixed bracket 32, the bracket 32 being mounted on the front wall of the housing I0. A nut 33 is provided on the front end of the shaft 3| so that the spool may be removed for purposee hereinafter set forth. A tape receiving spool 35 is also provided and is mounted on a shaft 36carried by a bracket 31, a nut 36 being provided on the front end of the shaft 36 for removal of the spool 35 for purposes hereinafter set forth. The bracket 3'! is carried on a rod 39 which extends through the front wall of the housing It) and which is suitably journalled within the housing If], a spring 40 being provided for urging the bracket 3'! to a position such that the outer tape engaging surface of the wheel 35 is brought into contact with the outer layer of the tape 9 on the peripheral portion of the spool.

An idler roller 40' is carried on a shaft 4| which is mounted on an extension arm 42 formed on the bracket 31, the idler roller 46 serving as a tape guide.

The lid portion ll of the housing I!) has a forward extension with flat side portions 45 and 46 for the passage of the tape thereover and each of the side portions 45 and 46 has upstanding tape guides 47 thereon. The central portion 48 is fiat and is elevated for the passage of the tape thereunder, slots 49 being provided between the central portion 48 and the side portions 45 and 46 for the passage of the tape. The underside of the central portion 48 has a groove 56 therein with a contact member 5| mounted in the groove 56. The contact member 5| is held in position by a plate 52 and screws 53. A conductor 54 is provided for connecting the contact member 5| to a binding post 55 mounted on the side wall of the lid A plurality of spring contact members 56 are provided for contact with the contact member 5|, the spring contact members 56 preferably consisting of colinear pieces of spring wire with hooked endportions 51 having round parts for engagement with the contact member 5|. The spring contact members 56 may have their ends offset slightly so that the contact portions 51 are out of longitudinal alinement with the tape 9 as illustrated in Fig. 6, for use with double perforated tape, or if desired, they may be disposed in alinement with the tape 9 for use with single perforated tape.

A switch member is provided which consists of an arm 66 pivotally mounted as at 6| on the underside of the lid and having a cammed surface 62 thereon for moving the spring contact members 56 to a position out of contact with the contact member 5| when the arm is moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and in full lines in Fig. 7. The spring contact members 56 are connected by a suitable conductor 63 to a binding post 64 carried by the side wall of the lid A suitable buzzer (not shown) and battery (not shown) may be connected in series with the binding posts 55 and 64 and for providing audible signals.

W'hen tape with a single line of perforations cut to transmit the desired message or lesson in accordance with the code is employed with the device of the present invention the ends of the spring contact members 56 are suitably positioned. It is preferred, however, to employ a double perforated tape as illustrated in Fig. 4, suitable spacing being provided between the two lines of perforations. With tape of this character it is preferable, in order to avoid the necessity for separate rewinding between runs that one message or lesson be punched on the tape in one direction so as to terminate at one end and that another message or lesson be commenced at that end and advance in the opposite direction. With the messages or lessons arranged in this manner, upon the completion of a run of the tape 9 in one direction, the spools may be removed and interchanged, and in so doing turned so that the perforations of the first message are out of alinement with the contact points and the perforations for the second message are in alinement. Upon the completion of the second run, the tape 5 is thus rewound to its initial position without the necessity for a separate rewinding.

The tape 9 from the tape delivery spool 30 extends upwardly and across the side portion 45 and between the tape guides 41 thereon, through the slot 49, beneath the central portion 48, between the contact member 5| and the spring contact members 56, through the slot 49, across the side portion 46 and between the guides 41 thereon, then downwardly in contact with the peripheral surface of the spool 35 and around the idler roller 46' and then onto the tape receiving spool 35. It will be noted that by the foregoing arrangement there is provided an effective braking action which will serve to cause the tape to be tightly wound on the tape receiving spool 35. The tape receiving spool 35 is pressed by the spring 40 so that the tape 9 on the periphery thereof is contacted by the rubber rim of the drive wheel 25, which drive wheel 25 by reason of its contact with the tape 9 on the spool 35 rotates the spool 35 and effects the delivery of the tape 9 thereto and the winding of the tape 9 thereon.

With the switch member 60 positioned so that the spring contact members 56 may engage with the contact member 5| a circuit is completed from the binding post 55 through the conductor 54, the contact member 5|, the spring contact members 56, the conductor 63 and the binding post 64, when a perforation in the tape permits contact of the spring contact members 56 with the contact member 5|. The length of time that the contact is effective is determined by the length of the perforation in the tape 9, which may be of a length for a dot or the length for a dash. The speed of movement of the tape 9 is determined by the speed at which the tape receiving spool 35 is driven by the wheel 25 and this is in turn determined by the positioning of the wheel 26 with respect to the driving cone [9. The knurled knob 24 at the front of the instrument permits of the adjustment of the speed, the range of which -may be from a setting for the transmission of approximately four words per minute to a speed of approximately sixty words per minute. The speed is constant and uniform for a particular setting of the wheel by means of the knurled knob 24.

If for any reason it is desired to stop the instrument, this may be readily done at any time by means of the switch l5 which controls the supply of current to the motor [4.

The switch arm 60 may be used, if it is desired for any reason to suspend transmitting or to skip a portion of a message or lesson or to prevent'contact of the spring contact members 56 with the contact member 5|. This is accomplished by moving the switch arm 60 to the position to move the spring contact members 56 to a location which does not permit of contact thereof with the contact member 5|.

I claim? 1. In an automatic transmitter having contact members controlled by a perforated tape movable therebetween, the combination of a rotatable tape delivery spool, a rotatable tape receiving spool, and means for controlling the movement of said tape from said delivery spool to said receiving spool at a predetermined uniform velocity, said means including a motor, a drive wheel in peripheral engagement with the tape on said receiving spool for actuating said tape receiving spool, and variable speed connections between said motor and said drive wheel.

2. In an automatic transmitter having contact members controlled by a perforated tape movable therebetween, the combination of a rotatable tape delivery member, a rotatable tape receiving member, and means for controlling the movement of said tape from said delivery member to said receiving member at a predetermined uniform velocity, said means including a motor, a drive wheel in peripheral engagement with the tape on said receiving member for actuating said tape receiving member, and interengaging members interposed between said motor and said drive wheel for varying the linear speed of said tape by infinitesimal changes.

3. In an automatic transmitter having contact members controlled by a perforated tape movable therebetween, the combination of a tape delivery member, a rotatable tape receiving member, pivotally mounted supporting means for said member, a tape guide carried by said supporting means and spaced from said tape receiving member, resilient means for impelling said supporting means, a drive wheel with which the tape covered periphery of the tape receiving member is held in engagement by said resilient means,

.a motor, and operating connections between said posed in contact with the tape receiving member and extending therefrom in engagement with said tape guide and onto said tape receiving member.

4. In an automatic transmitter having contact members controlled by a perforated. tape movable therebetween, the combination of a rotatable tape delivery member, a rotatable tape receiving member, and means for controlling the movement of said tape from said delivery member to said receiving member at a predetermined uniform velocity, said means including a motor, a drive wheel for actuating said tape receiving member, resiliently impelled means for holding said tape receiving member in engagement with said drive wheel, and operating connections between said motor and said drive wheel.

5. In an automatic transmitter having contact members controlled by a perforated tape movable therebetween, the combination of a tape delivery member, a rotatable tape receiving member, and means for controlling the movement of said tape from said delivery member to said receiving member at a predetermined uniform velocity, said means including a motor, a drive wheel for actuating said receiving member, resiliently impelled means for holding said tape receiving member in engagement with said drive wheel, and variable speed connections between said motor and said drive wheel.

6. In an automatic transmitter having contact members controlled by a perforated tape movable therebetween, the combination of a rotatable tape delivery member, a rotatable tape receiving member, movably mounted supporting means for said tape receiving member, resilient means for impelling said supporting means, a drive wheel with which the tape receiving member is held in engagement by said resilient means, a motor, and operating connections between said motor and said drive wheel.

'7. In an automatic transmitter having contact members controlled by a perforated tape movable therebetween, the combination of a rotatable tape delivery member, a rotatable tape receiving member, pivotally mounted supporting means for said receiving member, resilient means for impelling said supporting means, a drive wheel with which. the tape on the tape receiving member is held in engagement by said resilient means, a motor, and variable speed connections between said motor and said drive wheel.

LAURANCEJ E. GARDINECR. 

